By Andrée LOAS
edited by the League for the Reading of the Bible
(On sale in Christian bookstores)
Children will learn that God created everyone’s natural: not only the one they can touch, but also the mountains, the sea and the stars. They will discover that God is very great and powerful, and that they can trust Him.
We will also make them participate in the joy of the Christmas and Easter holidays by explaining what these holidays represent.
But what is really important is that they will learn to respond to God’s gifts and love. They will respond to God’s gifts by learning to thank him. These will be their first prayers outside the family.
They will learn to show love for the Lord by obeying him, by doing what is pleasing to him. To do this, we will address four points: obeying parents, giving to the church, sharing what they have and helping those around them. Sharing and helping will be a long and painful learning process, but it is not too early to teach God’s will to love one’s neighbor.
By teaching children what is pleasing to God, we prepare them for salvation. What do you mean by that? By learning what is good according to the Bible, they will find quite easily that they are not able to accomplish it. Little by little, they will learn what sin is. and they will become aware of their sinful nature. This will prepare them to listen to the gospel in Sunday school classes.
In this series of lessons, we do not present the path to salvation. Speaking of God’s goodness and what is good to him, we are just laying the groundwork for later jesus to be announced.
20 lessons
(to be done 2 or 3 times depending on the absenteeism of the children)
Jesus loves the whole family
- Lesson 1: Jesus loves children
- Lesson 2: Jesus loves dads
- Lesson 3: Jesus loves moms
Let’s share the joy of Christmas
- Lesson 4: Baby Jesus Is Born
- Lesson 5: Visiting the shepherds
- Lesson 6: Gifts from the Magi
Let’s rejoice in the creation
- Lesson 7: God made the sea and the mountains
- Lesson 8: God made the sun, moon and stars
- Lesson 9: God made the plants
- Lesson 10: God made animals
- Lesson 11: God made me (the head)
- Lesson 12: God made me me (members)
God forbid
- Lesson 13: Noah’s Big Boat
- Lesson 14: Jesus stops the storm
We love Jesus
- Lesson 15: Jesus obeys his parents
- Lesson 16: Mary’s Gift
- Lesson 17: Jesus helps fishermen
- Lesson 18: The Little Boy’s Meal
It’s Easter
- Lesson 19: Children sing for Jesus
- Lesson 20: Jesus is alive
Typical lesson from this manual:
Series: God keeps me
Lesson 13
Noah’s big boat
A small child is naturally fearful. Because his knowledge of the world is still very limited, everything that is new frightens him. He does not like to be separated from his loved ones and his return to kindergarten was surely painful.
The two lessons in this series will teach him that Jesus is always close to him, and that he is there to help him when he is afraid.
No more than an adult, a child cannot understand the invisible presence of the Lord. But that’s not going to be a problem for him.
What the Child Will Learn Biblical History Song Material
God is always with me. I am very happy about that.
Genesis 6:14-22; 7:7-12; 8:1,14-18
God before me (page 67)
- Drawing of the ark under the rainbow (page 59)
- A small plastic boat
- A bowl of water to float the boat
- The CD with the sound of rain
- A small arch and plastic animals
- The design of a large arch with a walkway and cut animals to paste
- Glue
- Small-format photocopies of the drawing of the ark under the rainbow
The lesson
The subject
You’re showing a nice toy boat.
The children talk about the boats, about what they know about them. You float the boat in a bowl, then you announce a Bible story about a big boat.
Biblical history
Noah loves God. Noah listens to God. God said to Noah, “Build a very, very big boat.”
Noah listens to God: he builds a very, very large boat. Tap! Tap! Tap! makes the hammer. Zzz… Zzz… saw it.
Noah works a long time but one day, finally, the big boat is finished.
God said to Noah, “Come into the boat with your family and the animals I send you.”
Here are two dogs, two mice… They all enter Noah’s big boat.
God closes the door of the boat. And it’s raining (listen to the rain on the CD).
It’s raining, it’s raining, it’s raining. On the floor, everything’s wet. In the boat, Noah and the animals are not wet: God keeps them.
It’s raining, it’s raining, it’s raining. The water rises and the boat floats. But in the boat, Noah and the animals are not wet: God keeps them.
It no longer rains (stop the rain CD). Noah and the animals are getting off the boat. They’re happy. Noah said, “Thank God for you have kept us.”
Show the drawing of the ark under the rainbow.
And me?
When you’re at home, God is close to you, he keeps you. When you walk down the street, God is near you, he keeps you. When you’re at school, God is close to you, he keeps you. God is always close to you.
Sing, “God before me.”
Possible activities
1. You tell the biblical story again concisely (without the CD or the drawing) and the children imitate your gestures.
You gather a few chairs to make the outlines of the ark where the children will enter.
God said to Noah, “Build a great boat.”
Tap! Tap! Tap! makes the hammer. (Make the gesture)
Zzz… Zzz… saw it. (Make the gesture)
The boat is finished. The animals arrive and they enter the boat. (Children get up and enter the boat.)
It’s raining, it’s raining, it’s raining. But in the boat, Noah and the animals are not wet. (You place your arms in the roof above your head.)
It’s not raining anymore. Noah and the animals are getting off the boat. They’re happy. they run everywhere. (Children get off the boat and run into the room.)
The children return to their place.
Noah said, “Thank God for you have kept me.”
2. If you have a small arch and plastic animals, let the kids tell the story while playing.
3. Collective drawing (first session)
You can see on the wall the drawing of a large arch with a footbridge. Each child must choose an animal design and stick it on the catwalk or queuing to climb.
4. Coloring (second session)
A small-format photocopy of the drawing of the ark under the rainbow.
© copyright – all rights reserved. Author: Andrée Loas – Publisher: League for Bible Reading
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